Peru's parliament has granted emergency powers to President Alan Garcia in order to deal with drug trafficking and organised crime. Congress overwhelmingly approved the move but around 20 Congressmen walked out of the session before the vote. President Garcia has promised not to abuse the powers, which are valid for the next 60 days. He will only have the power to rule by decree on nine specific types of crime, most of which relate to trafficking. A prolonged strike in the centre of the country by coca farmers demanding the government cease its eradication of their crop may have prompted this vote. Peru is the world's second biggest producer of cocaine and recent years have seen an increase in production and drug-related violence. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk

More than 600 people were detained and about 100 hurt after a second night of riots in Estonia's capital Tallinn. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets after new clashes with mainly ethnic Russian protesters erupted over the removal of a Soviet war memorial. Estonia says the memorial symbolised Soviet occupation. Supporters say it celebrated heroes who fought the Nazis. Russian officials said a man who died in Thursday night's clashes was a Russian national. A Foreign Ministry statement said the Estonian authorities had at first denied that any Russian citizens were among the casualties. The man, who was a resident of Estonia, has been named as Dmitry Ganin. The Estonian authorities have said he was stabbed by another demonstrator and that police had no involvement in his death. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6602171.stm

One of two French aid workers held hostage in Afghanistan for nearly a month was released Saturday, the French Foreign Ministry said."French authorities confirm that one of the hostages from the Terre d'Enfance aid organization was released this morning in Afghanistan," the ministry said in a statement that did not identify which hostage or give details about the release.Two French aid workers, one man and one woman, and three Afghan colleagues working in southwestern Nimroz province were kidnapped on April 3.Earlier Saturday, purported Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said the French woman was handed over to tribal leaders in the Maywand district of southern Kandahar province. Afghan authorities said they were investigating the claim....http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/04/28/afghanistan.kidnap.ap/index.html?eref=rss_world

Workers digging at the site of a future Wal-Mart store in suburban Mesa have unearthed the bones of a prehistoric camel that's estimated to be about 10,000 years old.Arizona State University geology museum curator Brad Archer hurried out to the site Friday when he got the news that the owner of a nursery was carefully excavating bones found at the bottom of a hole being dug for a new ornamental citrus tree."There's no question that this is a camel; these creatures walked the land here until about 8,000 years ago, when the same event that wiped out a great deal of mammal life took place," Archer told The Arizona Republic.Wal-Mart officials and Greenfield Citrus Nursery owner John Babiarz have already agreed that the bones will go directly on display at ASU....http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/04/28/prehistoric.camel.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us

Bush yesterday invited congressional leaders to the White House to discuss redrafting a new war-spending bill next week, and warned Democrats he is willing to wield his veto power repeatedly to block troop-withdrawal deadlines for Iraq. "I'm optimistic we can get a bill, a good bill, a bill that satisfies all our objectives, and that is to get the money to the troops as quickly as possible," Mr. Bush said during a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the president's Camp David retreat. Speaking a day after the Democrat-led Congress passed a war bill with troop-pullout dates, Mr. Bush said he has enough support to sustain his veto as Democrats began looking for a resolution to the impasse that would appease its anti-war wing....http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070428-120122-7533r.htm

A bus crash on Saturday injured 19 people, at least one critically, authorities said.A New York City Transit bus and a car collided shortly before 6 a.m. in Queens, said Jeremy Soffin, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Fifteen people were on the bus at the time of the crash, Soffin said. Thirteen were taken to local hospitals and two were treated at the scene for minor injuries, he said.None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, he said....http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-28-buscrash_N.htm?csp=34